Celosia plant named ‘Zancemepur’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Celosia plant named ‘Zancemepur’, characterized by its compact and upright plant habit; freely branching habit; dark green and purple-colored leaves; freely flowering habit; bright purple-colored flowers arranged on spicate-type inflorescences; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Celosia argentea.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Zancemepur’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Celosiaplant, botanically known as Celosia argentea and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘Zancemepur’.

The new Celosia plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands. The objectiveof the breeding program is to create new compact and uniform Celosiaplants with attractive and unique leaf and flower coloration.

The new Celosia plant originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands in September, 2013 of aproprietary Celosia argentea selection identified as code number13-0044-06, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with aproprietary Celosia argentea selection identified as code number2014-12, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Celosiaplant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single floweringplant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands inJune, 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Celosia plant by cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Rijsenhout, The Netherlands sinceSeptember, 2014 has shown that the unique features of this new Celosiaplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Celosia have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may varysomewhat with variations in environmental such as temperature and lightintensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Zancemepur’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Zancemepur’ as a new and Celosia plant:

-   -   1. Compact and upright plant habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit.    -   3. Dark green and purple-colored leaves.    -   4. Freely flowering habit.    -   5. Bright purple-colored flowers arranged on spicate-type        inflorescences.    -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Celosia differ primarily from plants of the femaleparent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Celosia are more compact than plants of the        female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Celosia are more freely flowering than        plants of the female parent selection.

Plants of the new Celosia differ primarily from plants of the maleparent selection in plant habit as plants of the new Celosia are moreuniform than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Celosia can be compared to plants of Celosia hybrida‘Zancecomfort’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 25,154. In side-by-sidecomparisons, plants of the new Celosia and ‘Zancecomfort’ differprimarily in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Celosia are not as freely flowering as        plants of ‘Zancecomfort’.    -   2. Plants of the new Celosia and ‘Zancecomfort’ differ in flower        color as plants of the new Celosia have purple-colored flowers        whereas plants of ‘Zancecomfort’ have bright red purple-colored        flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Celosia plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describethe colors of the new Celosia plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Zancemepur’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical plantof ‘Zancemepur’ showing the leaf coloration.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the spring and summer in 9-cmcontainers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Rijsenhout, The Netherlandsand under cultural practices typical of commercial production. Duringthe production of the plants, day and night temperatures ranged from 20°C. to 22° C. and light levels averaged 2,500 lux. Plants were pinchedone time about 2.5 weeks after planting and were ten weeks old when thephotographs and description were taken. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Celosia argentea ‘Zancemepur’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Celosia argentea            selection identified as code number 13-0044-06, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Celosia argentea            selection identified as code number 2014-12, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By terminal cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 12 days at            temperatures about 21° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 19 days            at temperatures about 21° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous and fleshy; close to 199D in            color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Herbaceous annual typically            grown as a potted plant; compact and broadly upright plant            habit; freely branching habit with about six lateral            branches developing per plant; moderately vigorous.        -   Plant height.—About 21 cm to 23 cm.        -   Plant width(spread). —About 23 cm to 25 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 18 cm to 21 cm. Diameter:            About 5 mm to 6 mm. Internode length: About 0.8 cm to 2 cm.            Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 145B; streaks,            close to 185D.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; simple.        -   Length.—About 5 cm to 13 cm.        -   Width.—About 2.8 cm to 6 cm.        -   Shape.—Elliptic to broadly elliptic.        -   Apex.—Acuminate.        -   Base.—Attenuate to truncate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 138A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B. Fully            expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A; random            sectors and spots, close to N79A; venation, close to 149D.            Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B; random            sectors and spots, close to N77D; venation, close to 195A.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 1 cm to 3 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm            to 3 cm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color, upper surface: Close to 149D. Color, lower            surface: Close to 195A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single elliptical flowers            arranged in terminal and axillary spikes; spicate-type            inflorescences; flowers face mostly upright; freely            flowering habit, about 80 to 120 flowers per inflorescence            and about 5,000 flowers developing per plant.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about 5.5            weeks after planting; in the garden, plants flower            continuously during the summer in The Netherlands.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences last about two            months on the plant; flowers persistent.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 2.5 cm to 6 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 1 cm to 1.8 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 2 mm.        -   Flower depth.—About 6 mm.        -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Shape: Elliptical. Color: Close to 71B.        -   Petals.—None observed.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower: Typically five. Length: About            5 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute.            Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening and fully            opened, upper surface: Close to N78A; color does not fade            with development. When opening and fully opened, lower            surface: Close to N78A; color does not fade with            development.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle:            About 45° from vertical. Strength: Weak; flexible. Texture:            Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 145B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Typically            five. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to            N74B. Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: Close to            158D. Pollen, amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 156D.            Pistils: Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About            4 mm. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color: Close to N78A.            Stigma color: Close to N78A. Ovary color: Close to N78D.            Seeds: Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Color:            Close to 202A.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Celosia have    not been noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to    Celosia plants.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Celosia have been observed to    have good garden performance and tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about 10° C. to 30° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Celosia plant named ‘Zancemepur’ asillustrated and described.